Overview:Students conduct experiments on the rate that sand and water heat up and cool down. Based on their observations, they make hypotheses about why materials heat up and cool down at different rates and then test their ideas.

Author/Source:UCMP

Grade:6-8

Discipline:Physical Sciences

Time:Two class periods

Teaching tips:This lab is modified from a text book version in order to better reflect the process of science. The word "hypothesis" is often used incorrectly in textbooks. A hypothesis should involve an explanation, based on observations, prior knowledge and logic. A hypothesis is not just a guess. Watch out for the misuse of the word "hypothesis" in textbooks and tell your students to be on the lookout too!